Do any of you BSG types know which were the first British Radio and TV sitcoms?
Thanks! 
First ever Sitcoms?
I think Hancock was the first sitcom, according to that "Greatest Sitcom show" the other night.
Would that be radio and TV?
TV, not sure about radio?
Well, strictly speaking there were other series' called Hancock which came later on, but in essence yes; Hancock's Half Hour was the first real British TV sitcom. (Certainly first in the way that we'd think of a sitcom now.) Not certain about radio though. It's possible, but the first episode was broadcast in November 1954, almost exactly 32 years to the day since the BBC first started broadcasting...
Thanks guys!
It started on a good one then!
Indeeed it did.
The first British TV Sitcom was a show called: Pinwrights Progress which was broadcast between 29th November 1946-16th May 1947. It was kind of like "Are you Being Served" 25 years early.
I bet that one's not out on DVD!
So it was! Well spotted. I'd be interested to see how the format exactly compared to HHH. Ray Galton (or was it Alan Simpson?) did state that HHH was the first full half-hour sitcom, as those before it had been comprised of 3 acts, or shorter stories or summink.
Don't suppose anyone has a copy? 
You've got more the Pope joining the Father Ted fan club than you have of watching Pinwrights Progress.
Don't the BBC has a bad track record of taping over old shows? I bet it's history!
I think that one was too old to have even been taped, it probably just went out live.
Frankie's right; it almost certainly went out live. Having said that, the BBC do have copies of some really, REALLY old stuff in their archives. Many programmes which were considered particularly important were recorded, despite going out live. I wish I was simplifying this, but it involved getting a camera, getting a tuned TV, pointing the camera at the screen, and recording. That's why the archive footage we see now is often so, well, shit. It didn't appear nearly as bad when it went out!
And specifically in answer to Lee, yes. Criminal amounts of tape and film were wiped. Some of the shows we now know and love the most fell victim, including (but by no means limited to) Dad's Army, Hancock's Half Hour, Doctor Who, Till Death Us Do Part, Sykes And A..., The Likely Lads, and Marty. This wasn't, I might add, limited to TV.
Down right vandalism, classic archives destroyed. All six episodes in the second series of Dads Army were wiped, though three were found. One of the found ones, "Operation Kilt" is my all time favourite episode of Dads Army which is my favourite sitcom. Three episodes remain missing "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker", "A Stripe for Frazer" and "Under Fire". Loads of Steptoes went missing, but Alan Simpson had some ruined tapes. Using technology the BFI made them broadcastlable. Missing things from the archives are often found in foreign countries such as two episodes from the first series of "It Aint Half Hot Mum" were found in Australia. I recently read an article in my local paper about someone who was after some missing episodes of "Till Death us do Part". Bloody waste of time finding them as the BBC refuse to repeat it. Such a shame as it was a wonderful sitcom. Oh by the way this is my 200th post.